Essential mods for SH4
 

He everyone. So I'm giving in a serious try to SH4. After playing SH, SH2, DC, SH3 with the GWX mod, I'm trying SH4. Currently doing the normal game campaign and am already having some trouble. The stock game doesn't work so well. I want to play with contact updates on because of sudden air strikes with no previous warning. (sometimes the game will give me a radar contact and boom, I'm hit). It's also amazing the planes don't do so much damage at all and they seem to go away after a single run! That's too easy!

I must confess I've tried the RFB 2.0 mod already and although there were many things i liked, there were other things which, in my opinion, were not so good.

Good: the extra tools on the map, the textures, the being able to walk inside your sub, the realism improvement.
Not so good: Crossing walls while walking, the new water textures steal away some FPS without much adding to the experience, in my opinion. Nicely looking though!

Isn't there a way to have all the realism but keeping the stock graphics and have the captain in place? I don't really need to walk around the sub for now!

Thank you very much!

Sounds like you need the Game Fixes Only mod.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=151796

You might try stock with Webster's GFO (Game Fixes Only) Mod and then add some individual mods to suit your tastes.

Thanks man. I've also found out: I could take on 2 Japanese planes with the anti-air cannon and they wouldn't even hit me.
When the bridge actually bother to report a contact, they don't tell you the bearing of it, a little unprofessional considering you are the captain...

I hope that mod fixes these issues too! Thanks again :)

If you are early in your campaign are you sure you even have SD radar installed? I have never been pounce on with SD radar installed. Also when using TC you need to be careful because by the time you come back to real time the enemy could have closed the gap radar allows for diving.

As to the damaged caused, I would expect that most planes capable of diving on a sub probably do not carry a whole lot of bombs or DC. After one pass most subs would have dived so why bother to make strafing runs on a submerged sub and just give up.

Historically, planes were the deadliest threat to u-boats and other submarines. The weapons even light planes have aren't exactly low caliber... Some will even carry torpedos... I was amazed however how that in SH3 i would have to dive for dear life and (GWX i must say) and on SH4 I just shot both planes while "maneuvering" at slow speed (1/3) in a straight line. I'm installing the gamefixes only mod and we'll see how it goes! :) Thanks for the input people.

You probably want to try Websters Better Air Patrol mod, it reduces the frequencies of air patrols however he has made them tougher also. TMO 1.9 also has much tougher air patrols, including their ability to see you and attack you at periscope depth (as was historically correct.)

Thanks for everyone's input, really. I've had some problems installing the MODS though. I use JSGME as instructed and the game acted as if no mod was installed. Odd.. I had no problems with the RF 2.0 mod. I've reinstalled the game and am trying again.

Make sure your file path is always MOD/mod name/data and not MOD/mod name/mod name/data....some times a second folder level is there that should not be.